“I commend His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara for this legacy project that cuts across several communities in six local government areas, critical government infrastructures and corporate industries that play major role in boosting the economy of the state are targeted in this project; Its social-economic benefits cannot be overemphasised,” says Dr. George-Kelly D. Alabo, FNIQS Monday in Port Harcourt, while giving the project description at the flag-off ceremony of the 50.15KM Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway Ring Road project.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Works maintained that the project has six sections that will run currently. He disclosed that the completion time for the project is three years.
Dr. George-Kelly said the Port Harcourt Ring Road will have six flyovers, one river-crossing bridge, and 19 rotary intersections and roundabouts.
“The road is a total of 50.15km dual carriageway, meaning that, if it was a single carriageway, we would be taking about 100 kilometres.
The project is going to have six flyovers and one river-crossing bridge. The flyovers will be having a total length of 4.8 kilometres. The river-crossing bridge will be 350 metres long. The project is sub divided into two loops, we have the southern loop and the northern loop.
The starting point of the project will be the southern loop, which is the UTC Junction, Port Harcourt. We will go into what looks like a valley there towards Kidney Island and take a curve to get to Rumuji Street. We go left to Uruala Street, then we move on to Iloabuchi Street, meaning that all of these roads will be dual carriageway.
At the end of Iloabuchi Street, we will go left towards Eagle Island. Behind the Agip Oil Company, we are going to put a bridge to cross the river there to Mgbodohia, then we go straight to Aka Road, from there we go right to hit the Olumeni-Epirikom Road.
On that road where you have St. John’s Church, we are going to have a flyover there. And then we go left towards Ogbogoro, then we move on to Ogbogoro-Ozuoba Road. At the Ozuoba Junction on NTA-Choba Road, we are going to put another flyover there, that would be slightly snake in nature because it is going to move all the way into Rumuosi.
We will move from Rumuosi to East-West Road, then we put another flyover across East-West Road to Rumuekini. That is the end of the southern loop.
The northern loop begins from Rumuekini to Aluu, from there, we will hit right to get to the Airport Road, we then go right and get to Elikporkpordu until we get to Elikporkpordu by Ikwerre Road, we will put another flyover there to get to Rukporkwu.
We move into the Rukporkwu-Eneka Road, which will now be dualiazed to get to Eneka Roundabout, we will put another flyover there. Then we will hit the Eneka-Igbo Etche Road then enter into Igbo-Etche community proper, then we go straight through the vegetation and hit Aba Road by Iriebe, where we used to have toll gate. At that point, we will have a roundabout and a flyover.
From Iriebe, we will move in through the vegetation to get to Agbonchia in Eleme LGA. Then we will go right to get to Alesa-Refinery Road, then we will have our final flyover and roundabout there,” the Commissioner added.
In his speech, Rivers State Governor, His Excellency Sir Siminalayi Fubara maintained that beyond traffic decongestion and accessibility, the Port Harcourt Ring Road seeks to futher unite the people of Rivers State.
The Governor said the flag-off ceremony was the beginning of a journey some people thought his administration cannot kick-start.
“This road is not just about connecting Eleme to Etche, it is not just about connecting Etche to Ikwerre; the project is about connecting our people. It is about uniting Rivers people.
“The new Rivers vision is about bringing Rivers people together. It is about making all the ethnic groups in the state to unite for a common goal.
Beyond our individual differences and diversity, I want us to look at this project as something that connects us together,” the Governor stated.
Governor Fubara said the project is going to decongest Port Harcourt City and Obio Akpor because other cities will develop in the state.
He pledged that while his administration is investing in infrastructural development, reasonable attention will be given to education, health, and youth empowerment as well.
“This project will bring about the development of new cities in Rivers State because there will be accessibility to other towns around Port Harcourt. More investors will come too.
“Let me assure the good people of Rivers State that it is not only the roads that we will attend to, we will invest in health and educational sectors. We will also look at youth empowerment because it is very important,” he said.
On his part, the immediate past governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike who was the special guest of honour stated that his administration approved the construction of the Port Harcourt Ring Road.
The former governor commended Governor Fubara for starting the project on a solid and positive note.
“Before I left office, the last state executive council meeting that we held which the governor and his deputy attended, we approved that the Port Harcourt Ring Road should be constructed by the next administration.
We attended meetings in Germany with the Commissioner for Works, negotiating with Julius Berger. We thank God Almighty that this project is starting today.
Governor Fubara has shown that he has the will and capacity to carryout project of this magnitude,” he said.
Rivers State Ministry of Works
17 July, 2023
